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| A Perilous Future for the Northern Fur Seal |
| WILDLIFE - MAMMALS | |||||||||||||||
| Written by Lucy Brake | |||||||||||||||
| Sunday, 05 December 2010 00:00 | |||||||||||||||
A Perilous Future for the Northern Fur Seal
About Northern Fur Seals Think fur seals and you’ll likely come up with images of cute baby seals with great big eyes. But their very future is at risk. “the world’s climate is changing the ocean’s ecology to such a degree that the survival of seals and their young has increasingly become a concern.”(Source: Climate.org ) Why are Northern Fur Seals Threatened?Northern fur seals are particularly at risk. They have a wide range across the globe and being one of the most pelagic pinnipeds, they spend virtually all their time at sea; enjoying floating on the surface, grooming or simply sleeping. The males are significantly bigger than females, weighing up to 270kg and their predators are mainly whales, sharks and sea lions.
Henry Wood Elliott: Defender of the Fur Seal (part 1/3)
Recent research from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says the northern fur seal births at the Pribilof Islands in the Bering Sea, where most of the world’s population this species gather, is declining rapidly. The Climate Institute is concerned that “the worldwide status of seal population is alarming”. Despite commercial hunting ceasing, the species has not recovered but the reasons are not fully understood. Because of this, the International Union for Conservation of Nature, which classifies endangered species, has listed the Northern Fur Seal as Vulnerable.
“worldwide status of seal population is alarming”
Henry Wood Elliott: Defender of the Fur Seal (part 2/3)
Large Solar Farm
Seals are a vital part of the marine food web. Scientists conclude that declining seal numbers is likely to be due to a decrease in the availability of food, including squid and fish. There are also decreased essential nutrients in the oceans as a direct result of the ice loss leading to reduced levels of algae, plankton and krill. This means females have fewer nutrients to feed their pups. The World Wildlife Fund explains that in addition, the cultural history and well-being of the native Aleut people of the Pribilof Islands is closely tied to the northern fur sea” and that “they are concerned that the decline in the northern fur seal population is part of a larger change in the Eastern Bering Sea ecosystem”.
The future of the Northern Fur Seal is threatened by a number of factors: .
You can help protect the northern fur seal by:
Henry Wood Elliott: Defender of the Fur Seal (part 3/3)
Keep America Beautiful! 
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Competition for food from commercial fisheries.
Cleaning up the ocean of marine debris.
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World Wildlife Org:
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| Labeled photographs courtesy of photographer Sharon H. |
| PhotoBucket.com |
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